Spring Fever: Is it real? Or is it all in your head?

Temperatures are rising, plants are sprouting, and the sun is still shining at the end of the workday. Around this time of year, you might find yourself daydreaming about playing outside or diving into feverish stints of house cleaning. Maybe you’re feeling a little bit smitten or more peppy than usual – it’s natural, it’s finally spring!

But did you know there could be more to spring fever than just a change in your attitude? According to recent studies, people experience a genuine energy burst during spring. AND, there are scientific reasons (that’s right, facts) behind why you’re feeling super-energized.

The first culprit is melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep. During winter, the human body produces increased levels that help keep us cozy and well rested. In springtime, however, our brains get busy processing the extra sunshine, resulting in less melatonin and a heightened feeling of wakefulness. Increased exposure to sunlight also helps people produce more serotonin (the chemical responsible for maintaining mood balance), so it’s likely that this little mood elevator is the root of your newfound lust for life!

Some researchers believe spring fever is less of a hormonal adjustment than it is the result of people’s tendency to log more exercise time as spring rolls in. When people spend more time outside, they can lift the spirit just by moving around and simultaneously triggering more vitamin D production.

But it really doesn’t matter what the cause is; what’s important is how you’re going to relieve it. With spring knocking on Kentucky’s front door, here are a few ways you can make the most of your spring fever in Bardstown.

From March 15 to April 16, the mansion that inspired Stephen Foster to write Kentucky’s state song will be decorated for Easter. You’ll see and learn about traditional Easter customs of Victorian England.

It might just be the ultimate spring fever reliever! With hundreds of blooming trees and plants, the landscape’s colors change daily. During the months of spring, you could go every single weekend and find something new in bloom. For monthly blooming features, click here.

Pick an afternoon of sunshine and grab your most comfortable shoes, because Bardstown’s self-guided historic walking tour will keep you busy for the entire day. Starting at the Old Nelson County Courthouse (currently our Welcome Center), the tour has 48 stops, with most buildings being built during the 1700s and 1800s. Along the way, you’ll have oodles of opportunities to shop and dine. To download a copy of the walking tour, click here.

HORSES, BUGGIES, AND LOG CABINS

If you want to see the entire downtown area but with less walking, then try using the other preferred method of travel from two hundred years ago – by horse and carriage. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Around the Town Carriage will show you all that Bardstown has to offer. If you’d like to stretch your legs, make arrangements to be dropped off at Old Bardstown Village. Adjacent to the Civil War Museum, the village features ten original eighteenth- and nineteenth-century log cabins. To book your carriage, buggy or stagecoach, call 502-348-0331 .